Circumcision. As Pagans is this is practice that we should continue?

I have only one son, and when he was born I was not living as a Witch. Despite my feelings and own thoughts about the Universe and Deity, I was trying very hard to conform. So I was living as a Christian. Now, I grew up thinking it was totally normal to circumcise males, and when it was time for the nurse to come get my son I didnt question it. Until! I heard him wailing out in pain and when I confronted the nurses that is when they told me that they do not give anything for the pain, not even a local!

I was shocked! I personally feel that I let down my son by not being informed about the procedure and for not standing up for his rights. Today if I were to have another son I would not allow him to be circumcised. Reasons being: I feel that it is not necessary, we have much better standards of living, cleanliness should not be an issue, and I have no pact to make with the Jewish, Christian, or Islam god.

I also feel that as we spend so much time informing new mothers about the benefits of breast feeding we should also have a mandatory discussion regarding circumcision. Make sure that everyone is being properly informed. After that if the child is to be circumcised at least give the poor boy some medication!

I am interested in hearing what others have to think about this.

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by mugs on July 9, 2009 at 8:31am: I agree with you. As Mothers we should be informed about circumcision just as we are informed about the benefits of breast feeding. Then the decision should be left to us as to whether or not the procedure is done or not.

I had questioned my grandsons being circumcised and the doctor fed me the line about how it keeps young boys from getting infections and the cleanliness issue. But as moms we can Teach our children personal hygiene. Just as we have to teach them toilet training, or eating with silverware.

I really don't know the answer, but like you I'd love to find out. Maybe there is a medical person within this space that has the answers

Permalink Reply by Andriel on July 9, 2009 at 8:35am: *a-ha* yes! anyone with any medical expierence? please give your input...

I would also like to hear from the men...do you feel that this is a necessary procedure? If so why? Also should the decision be left up to the male parent? I could see this going off on a totally different discussion...interesting. *sighing* and I have to work today and wont be able to play much longer.

thanks mugs...(that is a cool name!)

Permalink Reply by Arcane the WhiteRaven on July 9, 2009 at 6:45pm: personally I'm circumsized. I dont remember anything about when it was done and I remember as a child not even knowing that anything had been done. I didnt realize that something had been done until I saw someone else who wasnt circumsized.

I am personally on the fence as to whether or not I will want to have any sons of mine circumsized. from what I have read there are many things that can happen if not circumsized (non biased sources), and then you have the usual speel about cleanliness and such.
so unless done by a bad doctor (I've seen some pretty bad pictures of badly performed circumsicions.) I havent seen any bad side to it.

Permalink Reply by Cindy A. on July 9, 2009 at 8:39am: When I had my son, I had already known about proceedures regarding circumcisions, as I had researched it. Luckily the hospital I had my son at, only did circumcisions by request, and required a payment. I had asked about having it done, but asked my family doctor instead, and she told me that it wasn't necessary unless he had an infection of some kind, that warranted a circumcision. If I wanted to have it done, I'd have to pay the doc about $100 for the proceedure. Needless to say, that's quite a chunck of change.

If you choose to have your kid circumcised, it's your decision. It shouldn't be a choice based solely on religious views, it should be done based on health views...as many (but not all) with circumcisions experience desensitization in the area, and other problems. It should also be done after thorough research, and not taken lightly. Also if you're pregnant, you should take the initiative and research your hospitals policy on circumcisions (instead of waiting for someone else to come up and tell you) in case they have a mandatory circumcision policy and discuss with your doctor whether or not you want the proceedure done or not.

Not all hospitals have required circumcisions. That's why it's not regularly discussed. But I will agree, some kind of local anasthetic should be administered.

Permalink Reply by Scarlet on July 9, 2009 at 8:42am: My personal oppinion - Genital mutulation in the underaged should be discouraged.
Of course, I'm appalled when I see an infant with peirced ears. Something that is a parmanent change to the body should be the choice of the owner of that body, IMHO.
The Gods in their wisdom did not evolve mankind to lack a foreskin (or a cliterous, which is removed during "female curcumcision") so why do we think that we, out of some misguided notion of cleanliness and hygene, should remove it? BS. It's a cultural practice, poorly justified by medical science, that I find unpleseant and would never inflict upon my own child or any child in my care. If my grown son says "I'm going to go get curcumcised" I'll throw him a damn party, but not untill he's old enough to make that decision on his own.
-Scarlet

Permalink Reply by Scarlet on July 9, 2009 at 8:44am: And when I say "genital mutulation" I am not joking... just because infant male curcumcision is popular in the states, doesn't mean it's not just as much mutulation as the forcible removal of the cliterous in some other cultures that we find so appauling.
If a doctor ever asked me I'd say "No, please don't cut up my baby, kthanxbai"

(I mean no offense or judgement upon parents that have chosen this route... some guys just like their sons to look like them and don't want to deal with teaching something they may not be as familiar with...)

Permalink Reply by Chenoa on July 9, 2009 at 9:03am: I have two boys, both circed, and I knew what it was when it was done. It was an extremely difficult decision. I left it up to their Dad. He is circed also and decided they should all be the same. So, I agreed. Some time later, I saw an Oprah show on female circumcision. I cried my frickin eyes out! If there was ever one thing I could go back and change for my children, it is this.

Permalink Reply by Rivenfae Wolf on July 9, 2009 at 9:15am: I had my son done when he was born, because when I grew up my younger brother when he got chicken pox my mother said that area got infected too and so he had gotten very sick and needed it done at age 11. My son is 12 and when he was born they hadn't quit finished up the chicken pox vaccine so I felt safer having it done.

Permalink Reply by MaskedEternity on July 9, 2009 at 9:18am: I was not given an option when my first son was born(now 13), and not informed enough when the second was born (now 11) but I was informed by the time my third son was born (now 6) and he is not circumcised. I did have to request he not be and hear a lecture of the benefits from a nurse who was not happy with my choice.

Permalink Reply by AlanHeartsong on July 9, 2009 at 9:32am: I'm not a medical expert, but I've read enough to know that the medical folks have been justifying genital mutilation of infant boys with a specious argument about hygiene and infections. The truth is, it isn't necessary and never has been, and they know that just because they used to be taught that it was, doesn't mean it was ever true.

Uncircumcised guys generally get a LOT more in terms of pleasure and sensitivity out of the sexual experience than circumcised men do. Think of how many men have been robbed of that because of a lie, just in the United States alone?

Permalink Reply by Dailgneachd on July 9, 2009 at 10:03am: I've heard that too.

Permalink Reply by Dailgneachd on July 9, 2009 at 10:02am: While I agree with you, I also disagree from a health standpoint.
One of my brothers wasn't circumcised. When he turned eight, as it was his responsibility to keep himself clean down there, he had trouble getting all the lint and stuff out from under the skin. He developed an infection, which caused the skin to begin to swell and grew over his penis. Most eight year old boys are not going to tell anyone when they have a problem down there. So where as, had he been circumcised as a baby, this problem would not have occurred, he had to be circumcised at eight and it was not only pitifully embarrassing for him, but painful DAYS later as well. Newborns heal rather quickly.
Ironically, the man I married went through the same thing, except his problem developed much earlier than eight and he had to have it done at three. He remembers it and was VERY traumatized by it for a lot of years. Had his mother done it when he was new born, he wouldn't have retained those horrible memories.
The fact is, some men are born with more skin down there than others by nature... sometimes too much skin isn't such a good thing, especially once a child gets too old for a parent to do the care-taking of that area, but isn't quite responsible enough to really understand how clean that area has to be kept. Same with girls on a different level. Little girls are notoriously poor wipers and get infections because of it. They don't understand the REAL importance of keeping that area down there clean and free of bacteria.
So, for health reasons, I'm for it, but religiously speaking, no... not a bit.